Despite being perhaps the single most influential individual in traditional Chinese and East Asian culture, Confucius has gotten a bad rap in modern times. The great teacher and philosopher is often dismissed as a symbol of oppression, conformity, and sexism. In this narrative, the teachings of Confucius made way for the social ills China is saddled with today, from human rights abuses to pervasive corruption.
Things are no better in China, where the most common understandings of Confucius are colored and distorted by decades of Marxism, which regards Confucius as a reactionary villain whose ideas hindered China’s progress. These interpretations reflect years of alienation from traditional culture, which was severely damaged by totalitarian persecution.
Here are four common myths about Confucius, along with what’s wrong with them.
Myth 1: ‘Confucianism Is Oppressive’
Perhaps the most fundamental misunderstanding about Confucianism is that it promotes oppression. This view takes issue with the teaching of filial piety, whereby children must respect their parents and elders, and subjects must respect their rulers. Because the teaching espouses hierarchy, it is assumed that Confucianism must be authoritarian and dictatorial.
Some China experts have even sought to argue that Confucius’s influence is why modern China lacks the human rights and freedoms enjoyed in democracies.
But to equate hierarchy with oppression is to oversimplify what Confucianism truly taught.
